Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-01-19
A SILENT PREACHER.
Lesson Taught the Old Coast
Guard by His Spy-Glass.

Lesson Taught the Ola OOdSC-
Guard by His Spy-Glass.
"Then sometimes" said old Mat
thew Duncan, the coast guard at Tram
bay, 'I'ye thought II -ritc a book.
I've got so far as to think what color
the cover should be, and that's half the
battle; and settled it was to be rs like
the Union Jack as the book folk can
make it, but never get any farther.
I'll tell you some of the things I've
seen through this glass, and what I've
thought about them, too, and if they do
any folk good III be all the better
pleased.
"Now, first of all, you point this
glass over at yonder old bit of ruin on
the cliffs. You can't see large black
stone in it. Well, the focus ant right
for your eye; every man must shift it
for himself; but the stone is there"
GAY, | see it now. And l see u
white cross, rough dab of paint
on it.
Right; when man sees that It's a
sign he has the focus right and that he
can see as | could, only hope he'll
never get the chance to see what saw.
When a man can see that white mark
tits a sign that he could know one per-
son from another if they were standing
at the same place, and that he could
sec all they were doing and, so to
speak, almost hear what they were say
ing. We ant quite como to that yet,
but If what folk say who come and
talk to me in the summertime be true,
we're on our way to it, and we amt
far of either But now you're. sure
that Il man standing here can sec what
is going on over there?
"Well, fifteen years ago como mid
summcr-day was on guard here at
three o'clock in the morning. | gen.
orally gave Il look all around with that
glass, and there was nothing at all in
view out to sea; kept watching a rab-
bit that was skipping in and out among
the stones of the old ruin. Presently i
saw il was frightened and ran away,
and said TO myself: Now, what's
that?" for you know when man is
long hours in the same place. and there
day after day, he's glad of any thing
that makes bit of stir.
IL hadn't long to wait before I saw
what made the rabbit jump away in
such a hurry; n man and n woman
came out of the ruins and sat down OH
some of the loose stones outside. The
man was dark, with sailors dress,
and as far as ! could make out-and
that, think, was pretty near-was
about thirty years of age. He warn't
the looking man that I'd trust myself
to If were a young girl; but no living
man can tell what any living woman
will do or will not do and why she
will do 1t or will not do it, and that's
a knowledge I've come to by thinking
and by watching my old woman and
was one of the first things 1 was gong
TO put down in my book At first these
two were friendly enoug III; even if the
glass had been Il trinci wrong in the
focus / could have sccp that they were
sweetbearts; but after they had been
there half an hour orr so / saw that the
girl began to move away little from
him, and when lie shifted his seat so as
to get near her again she made another
move.
''Said /: Here's the old story of all
the world. of morning, noon and
night, going OH harc on the top of this
cliff at four o'clock in the morning
''But / hadn't time for much think
ing; II took all my attention to be
watching. There was quarrel, that
was plain; but, Ioohr says / to my
self they'll kiss and be friends in ten
minutes Well. waited for the kiss
ing, and then ! thought I'd have an
other look round the ocean; but that
poor girl never got kiss again.
There was n something in her hand
that he wanted to get. that was plain,
though l ccSlldn't quite make out what
it was; but whatever il was he snatchcd
1t from her, and she struck ut him in
her anger, and tsicn there was push
ing about, but always with her getting
nearer and nearer the edge of the cliff,
until NJ last saw Che mans two arms
thrust straight out and over she went!
Once or twice she hung for 1, moment
on the face of the rock; her dress
caught I'm the brambles then. But IL
was only for moment; she was in the
sea in less time than it takes Dor me to
tell you this.
"Tho tide was full at the time, but
just on the turn, and once il nIrns IL
runs there almoS like the ra0o of a
mill; and the man was soon lost to
view In the ruins, and though
searched the ocean all round for miles
never got sight of the body any
more.
" Now, sir, says I to myself, what
shall / dop Shall report thisp
thought and thought and thought, and
nc ear 1 SAYS: No, won't report II
even to my old woman. for II / do
there's no knowing to,whom she'll re-
port IL again. And. tho reason hsd
Tor not doing IL was this. Says I to
myself: If there's no one raising, anal
If the body nevcr tu5ns up. as don't
believe Il win, people will saw was
dreaming; 1t may be. they'll say was
drunk; for all know tlsy may say